Chapter 425

What Have You Done

John thought about what John Henry said. Things all seemed a little too neat and tidy in his report about Cameron. He was sure there was more to the testing at Cameron's base as well. He was dissatisfied with everything, too many things didn't add up. He went in search of Savannah himself.

He was unaware Cameron already sent Savannah off to Australia along with Vanna, Jesse and their Metal chaperones.

John went to Savannah's room. He paused outside for a minute and listened. He couldn't hear anything. He thought if he asked Savannah outright what all happened that she would tell them. He at least hoped that she would. He knocked softly on her door. She didn't answer.

Cameron suddenly appeared behind John as he stood at Savannah's door. She knew what John was after. She needed to gain control of the conversation before it started.

"What's wrong? Didn't you get enough?" Cameron asked. "I'll send Summer, Ally and Sheila to see you. You can try all of them and see how they compare to me or if any of them are 'new'."

Cameron turned and started to walk away.

John felt embarrassed by what she'd said. It wasn't like that. He knew it looked a little compromising where he stood right now. He was after answers, not someone's purity.

"Cameron." John called. "It's not like that. I wanted some better answers. That's all."

Cameron stopped and looked back. She knew John was 'on to' something. It was time to play the 'game'. She turned and brushed past him as she opened the door to Savannah's room.

"Follow me." Cameron said as she went by him.

Cameron opened the closet, she showing John some of Savannah's outfits.

"Do you see this?" Cameron asked. "She isn't a girl anymore, John. She is ready to take her place at your side."

Cameron took out her wedding dress and held it up.

"She will wear this for you right now." Cameron said

John felt ambushed. This wasn't the conversation he'd planned on. He was the one on the defensive now.

Cameron could see she'd made her point. She pushed her agenda. She actually didn't see anything wrong with it.

"It fits her, John." Cameron said. "You must accept her as your destiny and as your wife, one of them anyway."

John knew where this conversation led. It was always the same more or less. Cameron based everything regarding him on the future she came from.

"Is that how it is in the future?" John asked.

He already knew it was. He'd heard the story a thousand times.

Cameron was pleased that she'd restored the future to how it was before she was part of it.

"Yes." Cameron said. "I've been there twice. Now you have Allison back as well in the future. I'm sorry I took her from you."

John was more than a little upset now. He believed that everyone should be able to choose their own future and determine their own fate. They didn't need others to make decisions for them. That included him as well. That was Future John Cameron referred to. Not him, at least not him now.

"If you hadn't, we wouldn't be standing here now in a young ladies room and determining her future for her." John said. "I can see she's 'ready'. I just don't know how much you've 'brain washed' her over the years."

John was sure that Savannah would do anything Cameron wanted because it was what she'd heard for more than half of her life. He knew Savannah loved Cameron dearly in every way a person could be loved. It was the purest form of love.

Cameron was offended by what John just said. She'd never 'brain washed' anyone, how dare he say that to her.

"I would NEVER do anything to hurt Savannah." Cameron said. "You know that."

John wondered about that. Maybe she wouldn't intentionally but maybe she already had unintentionally. He knew Savannah was 'different' now somehow.

"Do I really know that?" John asked. "What have you done to her?"

John's statement angered her.

"Nothing…." Cameron said.

John wasn't sold.

"I saw her." John said.

Cameron didn't feel she'd done anything wrong.

"I've done nothing to her, except protect her." Cameron said.

John knew Savannah looked different than she did a few days ago. That didn't happen on its own.

"She's different now." John said. "I know something happened."

Cameron tried to calm down some. She spoke what she believed was the truth.

"Anything that's happened has been her choice alone, John." Cameron said. "I may have facilitated things for her but I never chose for her or made her do anything she didn't want to do. She's a young lady now. She has needs and wants also, just like you did at that age and do now. I love her, John. I'm never going to let anything happen to her. I'll be there to protect both you and her and your children in the future."

John could see Cameron seemed sincere. The idea of the three of them caught his fancy.

"So it will be the three of us?" John asked.

Cameron needed to remind John about the 'Natural Order'.

"No. It will be the four of us." Cameron said. "Young Allison still has nearly half a decade yet to mature."

Cameron quickly thought of a few ways to speed that process up. She really didn't see why any of them needed to 'wait'. It was all the same people. It was all going to happen anyway. What difference did it make? Age was a 'hang up' for other people, not her.

John could see that Cameron hadn't listened to a word he'd said about people being able to determine their own future.

"And you have already determined her future as well." John said. "That's nice. She's never going to have a choice either is she?"

Cameron wondered why John was so confused. This was all his doing.

"I haven't decided anything for anyone, time has chosen it. YOU have chosen it." Cameron said. "You're the one who sent me here to make sure it all happened again."

It seemed to John that Cameron possessed more information than she originally did. Maybe some files unlocked inside her. Maybe something else was at play.

"How do you know all this as well as what happened after you left?" John asked.

Cameron was worried she'd said too much. She would try to stick to the truth as much as she could. If John wasn't here making an issue of this, none of this would be happening right now. This was all his fault. It was all his fault in the future too.

"Mrs. Weaver once indicated to me that she'd left My Future - Our Future, after I did. In that future, I was there. It was the four of us." Cameron said. "I thought she said it just to make me angry or try to hurt me. It did hurt me and made me angry. So I never believed her. I've thought about it a lot since she said it. I've now come to believe it's true."

John wanted to use that new reality to make Cameron care about herself more. He never liked when she went off on some crazy 'mission' into the unknown. He didn't know she was just back from one of those 'missions' and Savannah had been with her. That's why she looked different.

"So your 'Natural Order' of time actually does include you." John said. "That means you need to be around to be there."

Cameron frowned. It was the timing that was all off because of the other future John created by time jumping. That created the other set of girls.

"It may." Cameron said. "If it does, I was supposed to come later, not now in your life as your wife. I've slowed your progress. If you weren't getting any from me, Savannah would have been in your bed a few years ago."

John thought Cameron was about to being up the movie he watched all the time. He was conflicted now about some past events. Cameron pressured him to be with the girls so many times. He did what he thought was the best choice for Cameron back then. Since River was here recently it made him wonder about Allison – Duplicate Allison. He was still troubled by what was now 'Duplicate Allison' and the fact she'd perished on the 'Day Of Loss' so many years ago. He grieved for her and the baby she carried. Now she was 'back' and in River's future. What made it stranger is that set of Duplicates was still in that same week from when those events happened years ago.

"How is Duplicate Allison in River's future doing?" John asked. "I did what you wanted in the only way I could and not hurt you back then."

Cameron knew the girls from the future all faced a challenge when it came to reproduction. That was what she wanted to get ahead of this time around before Judgment Day arrived and changed everything.

"Only the medical technology of the future she's in may be able to help her." Cameron said. "Are you ready to become a father?"

John didn't make his decision lightly. It was the current outcome that wasn't foreseen.

"I made that choice when I provided the girls with what they 'needed'." John said. "Now I will be dead for hundreds of years before that baby is ever born, if it's even born."

Cameron didn't want to say what she'd already 'done' but she did want John to know the girls were good to go, even if he wasn't.

"John, the girls are all ready, especially Savannah." Cameron said. "Please listen to them, to me. Help them. Their Metal companions are there to assist them. They want families too."

John was worried how the girls always took the failures so hard.

"What if I do and they all fail again?" John asked. "That's going to kill them inside. We've seen that every time before."

Cameron hung her head in resignation. It was evident that John just didn't understand the future.

John could see his statement 'hurt' Cameron in much the same way the girls felt about their failed pregnancies. He wasn't sure he was ready to go through that again himself.

"I'm sorry, Cameron. I didn't mean to make you feel the same way." John said. "Let me think about it and talk with my mom and Kyle. I want their input. It's a big decision. I was ready before, I think I can be again."

Cameron didn't see anything different now. She wanted John to see the big picture. The future was already out there, waiting.

"John, it's not just about you anymore." Cameron said. "You have people here who depend on you and whose lives have been forever changed and altered. YOU are their future as we fight this silent war. You're the leader. They're depending on YOU."

John weighed all the options and possibilities. It was a mind trip. He saw things in a different light than Cameron did.

"I don't know, Cameron." John said. "I could end up with half a dozen kids in a year's time. That's mind blowing."

Cameron pointed out the current grim reality. None of them involved John, yet.

"So far the halls are empty except for your sister." Cameron said. "Derek and Riley are having trouble…."

John was pleased that Cameron made the effort to assist Derek and Riley. It was the right thing to do even if Cameron didn't need to do it.

"I appreciate what you've done for Derek and Riley, they both do as well. Derek has spoken with me about it." John said. "That was really big of you, Cameron, to do what you've done."

The talk about Derek and Riley allowed Cameron's thoughts to drift where they didn't need to go.

"John, I know this Riley isn't the same one that 'hurt me'." Cameron said. "Even if technically she is the same one…."

John didn't want this conversation to go 'there'. They all seemed to end up 'there' at some point. Cameron was never going to let it go. He dodged around the issue.

"Will it work for them?" John asked.

Cameron felt she'd done all she could do.

"I don't know." Cameron said. "I really don't. I hope so. I'm honestly trying to help them."

Cameron truly hoped it would work so John wouldn't need to be the father of Riley's baby…. That was something she'd seriously considered. She wasn't going to tell anyone. She would erase the files as well so she wouldn't know either. She sought help from the specialists she'd hired and brought in.

"I've assembled the best medical staff to help them." Cameron said.

John hoped Cameron understood how appreciative Derek and Riley were.

"You've done them a great service." John said. "They both love you."

Cameron smiled. She liked it when she made people happy.

"I try to do what I believe are the best things for everyone." Cameron said. "I'm ashamed when I fail or try to harm myself. Things that don't work out hurt me, John. They really HURT me. I know everyone doesn't always like the way I do things but I believe I'm doing the correct things for the future and you."

John could see Cameron's hand start to glitch. He was sure that all started because of him and that was what perpetuated it. It was more than a mechanical issue.

"I know, Cameron. I'm sorry I can't always do what you want me to do. Maybe one day I can." John said. "I hurt you before. I never want to hurt you that way again. I know what I did to you was wrong. Can you see why I am hesitant? I don't think I can be with the girls physically at this time but I will try again like we did before."

John took her hand. The glitching slowed but didn't stop. Only the girls seemed to make it stop, especially Savannah. Cameron was aware of that fact as well….

"Thank You, John. I love you." Cameron said. "Please, John, at least think of Savannah. She's young and beautiful and she is 'ready'."

Cameron held him in a tight embrace. She felt some of her 'shortcomings' weigh on her. She didn't like who she was at times. Her first poem 'Outsider' said it all. Nothing was different, at least not for her.

"Please, John, for me, for us." Cameron said. "They will be my babies too, our babies. I can't 'provide' for you."

John could feel Cameron's pain. Maybe it was time to act. Most of it would probably fail anyway. It was worth a shot to lift Cameron's spirits a little.

"OK, Cameron, it's time to 'milk the cow'." John said. "But you're going to do it this time for me. That way I know it's what you really want."

Cameron couldn't quite believe what John said at first. It took her a few seconds to fully process it. This was better than she'd hoped. It was time to get to work before John reconsidered what he'd just indicated. She quickly scooped John up off his feet and ran back to their room with him. She wasn't about to chance him changing 'His' mind.

John was surprised at Cameron's instant response, she must really want this, he thought. He really wondered how far this would go and what the real implications would be.

Cameron was happy, really happy. This was all better than she'd ever imagined. She loved it when a plan came together. The best part was, she hadn't even planned this. It just happened. It looked like there were going to be a couple of 'early' child births to cover up her earlier handiwork.

Cameron happily went to – work….

John was happy too. Cameron looked like she was up to anything at this point. He planned to make the most of that. There were a few new things he wanted to try as well. Cameron was up to all of them with a smile on her face.

Summer watched and listened from a distance. Cameron appeared she wasn't going anywhere now that her two day and two different futures 'excursion' was over. Her program was identical to Cameron's. She was 'Cameron' too. John should be hers. That was what Cameron promised her. Cameron didn't know how to treat him properly. She was pretty sure at some point they were going to end up in a fight over John.

She needed to wonder what the 'special assignment' was all about. Cameron was probably going to deactivate her and terminate her. It would be just like Cameron to make a big show of it in front of everyone. So be it. The girls all shared a Metal lover already. One Duplicate Cameron was with River the other Duplicate Cameron was with Future John, if she made it to that future. That didn't leave her many options. Even Ally and Sheila were able to share with each other. This left her 'odd man out'.

Summer passed by John's room and heard Cameron and John sharing with each other. She knew that should be her in there. That's what Cameron promised her. Now she would have nothing.

Nothing for Nobody….

What Have You Done

One can talk and say anything
What speaks louder are their actions
The huff and puff or even fluff
Are all only misleading distractions

Words and promises are cheap
They don't really have any cost
When one gets caught up in them
They become befuddled and lost

Down what path will one follow
Are they better off to make their own
They're most likely not headed for a throne
Instead away they'll be thrown

One better pay good attention
To see where they're actually headed
It is often to a destination
That is resented and dreaded

Things can fall apart fast
It all ends before it's really begun
They look with disbelief and ask
What have you done

Nobody